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Topic: DC - MD - VA ride (Read 1757 times)

I will be on my '04 RE, not my ST1100. If I can do it, you can too. My buddy, "Scorch" that did this posting tells me he likes to keep his EX250 between 50 and 60 on freeway sections. I explained to him the do's and don'ts of iron barrel Enfields. Here's one of his ideas for destinations.http://goo.gl/maps/PlozV We're looking to do camping. Everyone is welcome for all or part of the trip if you have limited time or if Motel 6 is your idea of camping. I'm looking forward to scrubbing my brand new K70s.Cheers,Bill

We left from Sheetz at Haymarket, off Rt 66. It was grey and chilly. It stayed that way. Instead of camping we stayed at best deal inn at Covington, VA. My friend, Scorch and I had been stopping regularly so I could check my oil. It developed this magic disappearing act. I ended up covering 700 miles in two days. In that part of Virginia you can get plenty of non-ethanol fuel. Looks like my future will include a flat slide carb. While stopped at Paint Bank, VA, I watched a rider pull up on a Thruxton from Hinckley. He had a custom swing arm and front end. What a rig. Earl said he can handle the Triumph as good as anyone along those roads. He lives near Roanoke in an area that he claims, "You can ride whatever you like". Meaning, you don't have to ride 300 miles of freeway to get to the roads that are good to ride. He recommended the road west. That it had a buffalo ranching, streams and beautiful country. He was right. Apparently, at 70 years old, he has some things figured out really well. We were back and forth across the West Virginia and Virginia borders. Down in the toe of VA, we had to turn back toward RT 11 to get me and the RE back to Arlington. I didn't shoot much, but there was a "Humpback Bridge". It bears the same name as the Boundary Channel Bridge on the George Washington Parkway, just north of Rt 95/14th Street bridge on the Arlington side. We got around to Rt 11. Lots of memories there for me. My grandfather was born in Grottoes. I worked two summers at a mountain lake camp near Ladd and Greenville. The old towns of Waynesboro and Harrisonburg have grown up and don't feel isolated at all. I could watch the counties go by one by one. Scorch figured, brilliantly, that we could use the last of the daylight to get over the hump on 33 onto 29 for a straight shot back at Falls Church. The technical sections through tight turns, major drop offs, tree lined Isle of Man style, don't make a mistake here, places went a little bit better by having some light. Route 29 was a free throw. More counties came and went. We got by Warrenton, a great visit in its own right and we kept pressing. We stopped at gas station near Culpepper. We got to see a Virginia State Trooper not give a ticket to a driver from Maryland. The girl at the cash register that sold me some peanut butter crackers and water said lots of people from DC come down to Culpepper on holidays. And that, he of the Trooper with the compact car, always sat there by the station. Now you know. I topped of the gas and added 20 50. Down the road, we were coming up on a connection to 66 and stopped at a station in outer Fairfax. Scorch said he would split to 66 so he could take the Beltway back to Maryland. "Did I know my way home?" Yeah. This is Lee Highway. It goes straight back to Falls Church. I took the little back roads of suburbia around the big roads of Lee Highway and Leesburg Pike. Then there it was. My driveway and the cover shelter. All trip long the back side pack made my non side stand bike difficult to dismount the whole trip. While stopped in the driveway, I leaned over and braced myself on a big plastic recycling bin. Finally, it was easy to dismount and lift onto the center stand. I walked my duster into the house, found Sidney the cat and my made myself a Portsmouth CoolAid. That's Bourbon & Diet. It was good to get out, yet it was also good to get back.Cheers,Bill

Sorry I missed the ride with the camp out. Let me know if anyone plans something in the future. I was at the Clarksburg MD show too. I rode the bike with the dog in the sidecar. The dog and I went camping over the long weekend and rode the bike. It was a long ride and the Enfield did OK. We got wet, but still had a great time camping in the mountains. I did have some problems getting the bike started on the way home. The dog kept looking at me while I was kicking the bike like "Well let's get going! What's wrong with you? I'm ready to ride!" I finally got it started and after it warmed up it ran OK. Fortunately "Gunbunny" came over after we got home and let me know what the problem is. So now I'm waiting on parts to come in the mail. After I get the bike sorted out we will be ready for our next ride.